A condition laid down in the contract is that Bombardier has to create apprenticeship opportunities - and it will be doing just that.

When news broke that the Litchurch Lane firm had been awarded the deal by Transport for London, the company announced plans to take on 80 apprentices.

Out of that number, 30 will be graduate apprentices.

But thanks to Crossrail, which will keep the factory busy until at least 2019, there could be even more opportunities for young people at rail companies within Bombardier’s supply chain.

Derby is home to the largest cluster of rail companies in the world - companies involved in all aspects of the industry.

And it is highly likely that the benefits of the Crossrail deal will permeate through to those companies and help dictate their recruitment plans.

Key to Derby being able to produce the right young people is having top level educational institutions.

One of these is Derby College, which already works in partnership Bombardier, to produce and nurture young engineering talent.

Existing Bombardier apprentices, who are currently studying at Derby College, have welcomed the Crossrail news because it means they have a future.

For Palm Brown, a business administration apprentice at Bombardier Rolling Stock, which manufacturers parts used to build trains, its something of a double celebration as today is her 18th birthday.

She said: “It’s a brilliant company to work for with loads of opportunities to progress. When we heard the news about Crossrail the place was buzzing. I hope it means that I will be here for many years.”

Kirsten Gorton, 20, from Mackworth went to Derby College who secured an apprenticeship as a fabrication and welding apprenticeship for her.

She now works as a quality technician and is continuing her education through Derby College.

She said: “I did work experience at Bombardier when I was at school and when Derby College told me about the apprenticeship I jumped at the chance.

“I feel very lucky having a job here. I love the engineering side and being in the workshops and the company is paying for me to continue my qualifications so I hope to progress up the career ladder here.

“With the future of the company secured, I hope that it will create even more career opportunities for us who are just starting out here.”

Bombardier Rolling Stock quality and health and safety manager Nigel Lister said: “We have 11 apprentices at the moment and have been working with Derby College for more than 15 years to train and support the next generation of workers here.

“This is great news for the young people who are working here as well as the whole workforce.

“It is early days since the announcement of the Crossrail contract but I know there will be plans to take on more apprentices although we will be reviewing the numbers on an ongoing basis.”

Bombardier apprentice Jacob Yeomans, 16, of Littleover, joined the company last year and comes to Derby College one day a week to gain qualifications in fabrication and welding.

He said: “You obviously never know whether there will be a full-time job for you when you have finished your apprenticeship but this hopefully has secured my future at the company.

“We are really busy in the workshops so it hasn’t felt that we were sitting there waiting for this contract but this news has come at a good time for us all.

“Both me and my older brother Mason, who is 18, work at the company so the future of the company was important for our whole family.”

Joseph Ball, 25, of Ambergate, Cameron Ritchie, 21, of Littleover and Adam Wormald, 20, of Mansfield, are among the cohort of Bombardier apprentices and former apprentices who are being sponsored by the company to study for a Foundation Degree in Engineering at Derby College, which is run in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University.

Joseph said: “I’m out of my apprenticeship and am working in the transport workshop on the under frames.

“I’m so relieved that we have got this contract as I would have been potentially vulnerable for redundancy had we not got it now that I’m out of my apprenticeship and one of the last to be taken on contract.

“We all feel now that our futures are much more secure and, with the company sponsoring us to further our qualifications, there will be loads more opportunities for us to work our way up through the company.”

Cameron, who is in the final stages of his apprenticeship, said : “I think that this contract with encourage the company to sponsor more young people through further and higher education which is obviously good news for the workforce and those looking for apprenticeships at the company.”

Full-time engineering students at Derby College also welcomed the news as many of them are looking to apply for apprenticeships at companies, including Bombardier.

Alex Willis, 20, of Long Eaton, is studying for a full-time Higher National Diploma at Derby College and working part-time as a waiter.

He said: “My passion is engineering and I think that this news has really put Derby back on the map for engineering and manufacturing and will lead to the growth and job creation at all sorts of companies.

“I was keen to further my qualifications to improve my job opportunities and my goal is to get a job at a company such as Bombardier who will hopefully then sponsor me to progress onto university get a degree.”

Maud Leulier 18, of Derby, Amber Kelly, 17, of Oakwood and Dominic Hilton, 17, of Shelton Lock are all full-time BTEC Engineering students based at the Roundhouse.

Maud said: “I want an apprenticeship so hopefully the opportunities at Bombardier will open doors for me.”

Amber said: “We were told at school all about the opportunities for people with engineering qualifications in this area so this will hopefully mean loads more both at Bombardier and the other companies who supply things to them.”

Dominic, a former pupil at Merrill Academy, which is sponsored by Derby College, said: “Knowing that there are jobs out there for engineering students is a real comfort and I am looking forward to starting to apply for apprenticeships.

“Bombardier are one of the employers who offer internships and work experience opportunities so I hope that this will be my opportunity to get in front of this company.

“The future is definitely looking brighter for people like me who will be looking for a job or apprenticeship next year.”

Derby College Engineering Team Manager Karen Gallagher said: “There is a real buzz among the students about Bombardier and many of them have approached me asking how they can apply for apprenticeship vacancies.

“We have a long association with Bombardier who are particularly heavily involved in our career academy so we are looking forward to using those links to sign-posting the students here to the company and hopefully supporting them into apprenticeship vacancies there.”

Apprentices on day release to Derby College from other local companies were also buoyed by the news of Bombardier’s success.

Owen Finnegan, 16, of Derby, works for design consultancy ESG Rail at the RTC Business Park.

He said: “There was a great atmosphere at work when the news came through with everyone saying that this would be good for the rail industry as a whole in Derby and should create work opportunities for companies such as ours.”

James Hanley, 19 of Belper, is an apprentice at Aesseal in Derby which makes mechanical seals.

He said: “We definitely need more jobs in engineering and manufacturing so this is great news.

“I hope that it will also encourage more young people to come into engineering and put their energies into learning how to make things for future generations.”

Mandie Stravino, chief executive of Derby College, said: “We are proud of our association with Bombardier and were delighted to hear of its successful tender for the Crossrail contract.

“Derby College exists to prepare people for the world of work ensuring we are generating the talent that is needed by our local businesses.

“We are committed to ensuring that we provide companies such as Bombardier with the skilled workforce that they need to remain competitive and continue to be successful in the marketplace that they operate.”

Comments

This is great news.
A lack of Apprenticeships over the years in Manufacturing and Engineering has (I believe) had a massively detrimental effect.
It's great to see new Apprenticeship programmes being created to support the Jobs in Rail that need skilled people
Well done Bombardier